13. Nothing Is Real (3:52)

[TaoTapeTao]

This is classic BoC

[rd1994]

is it just me or are there conversations in the intro
and also many frequency bursts throught the intro (when the drums start)

[purgruv]

This is the only track on the album that gives me all over head and body shivers from the sheer beauty, a feeling of numinousness and completion, the unknown factor, absolutely beautiful!

[monochrome]

I ran some simple noise filtering on the vocal section and sped it up to where it sounds a bit more clear.

https://soundcloud.com/sum-over-histories/nothing-is-real-vocals

Here is a more serious effort to isolate the vocals: http://sequoia.ax.lt/nothing-is-real.mp3
I feel that it's been cut up a bit, but I hear this:

Jesus, [an echo, layered other word?] was it new indeed
To flirt unkindly with my greed
Promises; eternal [another echo] afterlife (????)
When you knew it was not [layered vocal under this word?] right
When you knew that what I'd need was the willingness and the [heartbreaking]comfort there?[/heartbreaking]

Quotes on Quotes on Quotes!

Nice audio. I can definitely make out "flirt" in this version. It sounds to me like the "layered vocals" are delays and other effect tracks based on the original. But I do agree that it might be cut up, with maybe a syllable overlapping here or there. But I don't really here two separate statements at once, only these possible short overlaps, which I think are most likely from delay effects and not genuine overlaps of two separate tracks.

I posted your version and a speed-up on the r/boardsofcanada subreddit, because they were still referencing mine. I think it is easier to hear sped up, it matches regular speech more closely.

I currently hear ALMOST the same as before:

Jesus, was it you indeed
To flirt unkindly with my greed
[Promising/Promises] eternal life
When you knew it was not right
When you knew that what I'd need was willingness and the comfort there

[mc10101]

Listened to TH again last night, which must be my 6th complete runthrough, and it has fallen into place in a very profound way. I'm stunned, spellbound, and I'm scared. . .
Over the years as we all know, BOC have honed and refined their 'sound of memories'; something I believe is absolutely unique to them. But with "Nothing Is Real" they take that concept to it's logical end by putting the listener in a place where memories are ALL we have. I'm just blown away....

[d e n]

BOC have honed and refined their 'sound of memories'; something I believe is absolutely unique to them. But with "Nothing Is Real" they take that concept to it's logical end by putting the listener in a place where memories are ALL we have. I'm just blown away....

i'm feeling this analysis ...


Nothing Is Real is the perfect title for this track.

[3noneTwo]

I ran some simple noise filtering on the vocal section and sped it up to where it sounds a bit more clear.

https://soundcloud.com/sum-over-histories/nothing-is-real-vocals
[snipping quote for space]

Here is a more serious effort to isolate the vocals: http://sequoia.ax.lt/nothing-is-real.mp3
[snip]

I currently hear ALMOST the same as before:

Jesus, was it you indeed
To flirt unkindly with my greed
[Promising/Promises] eternal life
When you knew it was not right
When you knew that what I'd need was willingness and the comfort there

Hi all, breaking my lurker status to add to the chain, with some rather specific filtering: http://3nonetwo.com/zpers/NothingIsReal.mp3

"Flirt" is much easier to hear this time around. I'd like to think the second "S" sound in "Promising/Promises" is an echo of the first "S" in "Promise", but I can't hear an "-ing" behind it.

[mc10101]

BOC have honed and refined their 'sound of memories'; something I believe is absolutely unique to them. But with "Nothing Is Real" they take that concept to it's logical end by putting the listener in a place where memories are ALL we have. I'm just blown away....

i'm feeling this analysis ...


Nothing Is Real is the perfect title for this track.

Gladf u r feeling it too man, listening to this again right now.....f*ck its so poignant it hurts..

[bugsky]

This is the most understated track on the album.

EDIT: I thought I'd add that this track, especially with the vocal bit, sums up the message of the album to me that nothing lasts forever and that this could be something to embrace and not be afraid of. As said, in their interview; "It's not post-apocalyptic so much as it is about an inevitable stage that lies in front of us...It's probably quite a bleak album, depending on your perspective."

[Betacord]

FWIW, Mark's filter of the vocal is the one where I can most clearly hear 'flirt' without the 'L' sound being obscured...

The only thing left that I wouldn't be sure about is the 'promising / promises', but the idea that the first 'S' sound could be an echo is a possible explanation. Everything else: yeah, that's right!

[aperture]

Some of these titles feel like double entendres. Either the concept of nothing is real, or nothing that we think we know is real. It sounds a little like whimsy flirting with the knowledge of failure. Gorgeous beast of a track.

[monochrome]

Hi all, breaking my lurker status to add to the chain, with some rather specific filtering: http://3nonetwo.com/zpers/NothingIsReal.mp3

"Flirt" is much easier to hear this time around. I'd like to think the second "S" sound in "Promising/Promises" is an echo of the first "S" in "Promise", but I can't hear an "-ing" behind it.

I resisted the urge to use 6 levels of quotes. Anywho, nice work! I agree the final consonant in "promising/es" is hard to be sure of. Could be either. I don't hear the "ing", but the last vowel I do hear sounds more like the "i" in "ing" than the "e" in "es." Could just be an accent thing though.

What caught my ear as new in this version: you can distinctly hear layered vocals around the phrase "eternal life," and it certainty sounds to me like an echo of "eternal life" on a slight delay. That's good, I'd hate to deal with a whole other layer of words.

[nitya anitya]

is it just me or are there conversations in the intro
and also many frequency bursts throught the intro (when the drums start)

I made a mono track of the right stereo field and increased the volume a bit, I can't really make it out very well. Something along the lines of "motherfucker or 1200, I'm gonna meditate again and wake up in heaven, nooooo." I doubt I'm hearing it right, but if anyone wants to try to make something of it heres a link.

https://soundcloud.com/randomnitya/the-beginning-of-nothing-is

[ross adey]

sounds to me like the main vocal says "jesus was as you and me. too fraught unkindly with my greed", could be wrong of course but that's what i hear. also, in cold earth it sounds like the vocal pops at 1:56 say 'you and me' among other things.

[jcnporter]

Really good - loving what sounded like a bit of electric piano on this one. The intro had a slight sense of being played a degraded tape of a theme to some North American family TV series you can only just recall...

Yes! This was my first thought.

[purgruv]

Such a beautiful track!

AND

It reminds me of an ambient club track I heard in the late 90s to early 00s, but can't seem to place it.

Any ideas?

[optic]

Wow. That's it. And when I was listening, and reading the words, I had this amazing feeling of traveling away from the screen of my laptop, almost viewing me viewing it. I have been listening to this song pretty much constantly (at the expense of the rest of the disc) for the last 20 hours, and then seeing in plain text what I was actually listening to did a number on me. My inner mind knew those were the words I had been listening to all along...and to finally see them- a clarity of mind as well as a feeling of dread started to vie for supremacy in my consciousness. Wow. Just fucking wow.

I notice a pretty strong "r" sound before the "t" in whatever that word is, "to ____ unkindly..." and now I can't hear anything but "flirt." "Flirt" makes a bit more sense than "fault" to me. Takes the whole thing up quite a few notches on the depressing scale too. Absolutely wonderful track.

Edit: Food for thought, what if it was punctuated like this:

Jesus, was it you indeed?
To flirt unkindly with my greed,
promising eternal life,
when you knew it was not right?
When you knew that what I'd need was willingness and comfort there?

[ButterBalls69]

there's still a bunch of muted vocals during the last minute of the track. are they the same ones?

[chiefastronaut]

Love this song too! the filtering really clears up the vocal.

Going along in the anagram vein you should Google "Thargelion sin" and scroll down to the link for a google book called The Origin of Attic Comedy, should go to page 55 and read through 56. It might be a stretch but it's pretty interesting.

[Keeoaddi]

ethanol rising